The Eighties represent one of the most fertile and creative periods for cinematic science fiction, it is the decade that gave birth to absolute masterpieces, legendary franchises and visual imagery destined to influence entire generations. Alongside titles that have firmly entered the collective imagination, however, there is a gray area made up of films which, for various reasons, have remained on the margins of the general public.
Night of the Comet (1984)
At first glance it might seem like a simple post-apocalyptic oddity, but The night of the comet is much smarter than its premise lets on. After the passage of a comet that exterminates almost all of humanity, two teenage sisters find themselves wandering in a deserted Los Angeles, populated only by zombies and a few survivors. The film mixes science fiction, horror and comedy with a surprisingly light tone, but beneath the ironic surface emerges a restless portrait of female isolation, survival and empowerment. It’s no coincidence that over the years he has been cited as a source of inspiration for characters like Buffy Summers.
My Enemy (1985)
Based on a story by Barry Longyear, Nmy friend is one of the most sincere and human films never made within the genre. The story follows a human pilot and an alien warrior forced to coexist on a hostile planet after they shoot each other down during a space battle. What begins as an inevitable conflict slowly transforms into a bond of trust and mutual understanding. The film addresses themes such as prejudice, communication and coexistence between different cultures with a rare delicacy, choosing intimacy over spectacle.
The Alien (1987)
The Hidden is one of those films that defy traditional classifications. It is at the same time an urban crime thriller, a science fiction film and an action thriller, all wrapped up in a dark and nervous atmosphere. Kyle MacLachlan plays an enigmatic FBI agent who investigates a series of seemingly unconnected violent crimes, soon discovering that behind it all lies an alien threat capable of possessing human bodies. The film stands out for its fast pace, aggressive soundtrack and a simple but extremely effective narrative idea. It never achieved the popularity it deserved, but it remains one of the most successful examples of cross-genre contamination in the ’80s.
Everywhere in Time (1980)
Different from any other science fiction film of the period, the film chooses the path of romance and melancholy, where we find the Protagonist, a writer who, obsessed by the portrait of a woman who lived in the early twentieth century, manages to travel back in time through self-hypnosis. Time travel is not treated as a scientific gimmick, but as an act of faithalmost spiritual. The film is slow, contemplative and deeply emotional, and perhaps for this reason it has remained distant from the general public.
Brazil (1985)
Closing this list without Brazil would be impossible. Terry Gilliam’s film is a suffocating and paradoxical dystopian vision, set in a future dominated by an omnipresent and dehumanizing bureaucracy. Through the story of an office worker who dreams of escaping an oppressive system, Brazil constructs a ferocious satire on technology, control and modern alienation similar to what George Orwell did with his masterpiece, 1984. Despite its enormous visual and thematic ambition, the film remained on the fringes of mainstream audiences for a long timeperhaps because it is too uncomfortable, but which today appears incredibly current and represents one of the most radical and visionary examples of science fiction of the 80s.
Christmas Holidays it is one of the best sellers on today
